Henry h



' (No Model.) H. H. BAKER, Jr.

BOOKy HOLDEIL.` No. 472,247. Patented Apr. 5, 1.892.

ls ravens ce.; Mouwo., wnsamnron u c NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. BAKER, JR., OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARVEY D. BLAKESLEE, OF SAME PLACE.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,247, dated April 5, 1892.

Application filed June 22, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY H. BAKER, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New Yorkfhave invented a new. and useful Improvement in Book-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the clasps or holders which are employed for holding a book open and preventing the leaves of the book from turning.

The object of my invention is the production of an inexpensive holder of this character which is readily attached to and removed from a book and which is conveniently mani pulated in turning pages without requiring the holder to be detached from the book.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of my improved holder applied to a book. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the holder. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several igures.

A represents a clamp or clip forming the stationary base of the holder and which is adapted to be passed over the upper edge of one of the covers of the book, as c learly shown in Fig. 2. The clamp A preferably consists of a strip of doubled sheet metal having its bent portion enlarged on its upper side to form a raised head c. B is a slide movable lengthwise on the clamp A and consisting of a bar which passes through transverse slots b b, formed in the head a, whereby the slide is guided upon the clamp.

c c represent guide-lips formed at the edges of the upper jaw of the clamp and which overlap the inner portion of the slide B, so as to hold the same against lateral displacement. Withdrawal of the slide from the slots iu the clamp A is prevented by a stop or lip d, formed at theinner end of the slide and which strikes the guide-lips c when the slideis drawn outward to its full limit, as shown in Fig. 4.

E is a clasp or holder attached to the slide B and adapted to bear upon the leaves of the open book. This holderconsists, preferably, of a spring-clasp pivoted to the upper end of a flange or standard F, arranged at the outer end of the slide and having its spring coiled serial No. 397,043. (No mtaei.)

around its pivot and bearing with one end againstv the clasp and with its opposite end against the standard in a common manner. The clasp is provided with an outwardly-extending thu mb-piece e for raising its arm to release the leaves of thebook, and the standard is provided immediately below the thumbpiece of the clasp with an outwardly-extending ear or projection g, which forms a rest for the forenger in depressing said thumbpiece. The projection gis preferably formed in one piece with the standard F and the slide B.

H is a transverse rod or bar attached to the arm of the clasp and which bears upon the leaves of the book, as shown in Fig. l. The end portions of this rod are preferably bent downward at an angle to the body of the rod, so that the latter bears only with its ends upon the leaves. By this `construction the rod holds the leaves more irmly than it would if it rested upon the leaves throughout its entire length.

In attaching the holder to a book its clamp A is passed over the upper edge of one ofthe book-covers and the sliding clasp is drawn outward into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so as to clear the leaves and permit the same to be freely turned. NVhen the desired page is reached, the clasp, with its rod H raised, is slid inward over the upper portion of the book and released, thus firmly holding the leaves. The leaves are readily released for turning to a different page by simply depressing the thumb-piece of the Clasp and sliding the clasp outward.

The raised head dof the clamp A acts as a stop, which prevents the rod of the clasp B from sliding inwardly againstthe upper edges ot' the leaves when the clasp is closed, thus obviating interference 'of the clasp with the upper edges of the leaves in turning from one place of the book to another. l

The rod H of the clasp spans a considerable area of the open book and avoids the necessity of forming the clasp with a broad head, which would render itheavy and unsightly.

My improved holder is very convenient, as it permits the leaves of a book to be quickly turned without removing it from the book. This renders it particularly useful to musi- IOO cians in playing from llymnals and other comparatively small or new books.

The clamp A, slide B, and clasp E may each be stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, and theholder can therefore loe manufactured cheaply and in a neat and light manner.

I claim as my inventionl. A book-holder consisting of a clamp for attaching the holder to the book, a slide arranged upon said clamp and capable of moving lengthwise thereon, and a clasp mounted upon said slide and moving therewith, whereby the clasp clears the edge of the book upon drawing the slide outwardly on the attachingclamp while bearing upon the leaves of the book upon moving the slide inwardly, substantially as set forth.

2. A book-holder consisting of a clamp for attaching the holder to the book, a slide guided upon said clamp and provided with a standard, a spring-clasp pivoted to said standard and having a thumb-piece, and a projection arranged on said standard underneath the thumb-piece ofthe sp1-in g-clasp, substantially as set forth.

3. A book-holder consisting of an attaching-clamp provided with a transverse slot and a slide passing through said slot, lateral lips arranged on the clamp and overlapping the slide, and a clasp attached to said slide, substantially as set forth.

4. A book-holder consisting of an attaching-clamp, a slide guided upon said clamp, and a clasp attached to said slide and provided with atransverse rod which bears upon the leaves of the book, substantially as set forth.

5. A. book-holder consisting of an attaching-clamp, a slide guided upon said clamp, and a clasp attached to said slide and provided with a transverse rod having its ends turned downward and bearing upon the leaves of the book, substantially as set forth.

6. A book-holder consisting of an attaching-clamp composed of a double strip of sheet metal having lateral lips and a raised head having transverse slots, a slide passing through said slots and under said lips and having a stop which strikes said lips, and a spring-clasp attached to said slide, substantially as set forth.

Vitness my hand this 16th day of June, 1891.

HENRY H. BAKER, JR. lVitnesses:

C. F. GEYER, F. C. GEYER. 

